Malediction: the love and life of Astoria Malfoy

Chapter Seven

As a sixth year I got to take much more interesting classes, and even slipped in muggle studies in attempts to snuff out any rumors and lies my family had fed me for the last sixteen years. The first day back was better than I could've ever hoped for -- but then dinner came.

In all honesty, it was far better than what it could've been, what I'd expected. I sat down, bracing myself for the onslaught of rage from Pansy and her goons, but instead was greeted with an awkward pause.

They all looked at me for a moment, unsure, then went back to their conversations. Pansy was now sitting next to Draco, staring at me with her angry, beady little eyes.

The daggers went on until dessert -- that was when I finally said something.

Taking a deep breath and letting my fork clammer down onto the plate, I said, "Look, Pansy, I'm sorry --"

"Don't!" She said, fuming. "You broke my nose! Pomfrey had to perform a charm but it still looks different."

Now that she mentioned it, her pig-nose definitely did seem slightly extra puffy now.

"Pansy, I didn't mean to break your nose, I just --"

"Don't think just because your sister died we all need to allow your insane behavior. If anything, Daphne being alive put a shield on you by me, and now, that shield is gone," she hissed.

The melodrama of it all was utterly obnoxious.

She did have a point though. The Pansy-Protection-Package placed over me because I was her friend's sister was now gone. But did I actually care?

No. Honestly, what could she do to me now? Other than break my nose for revenge, I suppose.

I rolled my eyes, sinking into myself. I wanted to say something back, but what? Just as I was knitting the perfect passive-aggressive comeback, my thoughts were interrupted by another shriek of her voice.

"Come on, Draco, let's go back to the Common Room," she said, glaring at me, flaring her already overpronoucened nose. He was hunched over a slice of cake, looking at it with complete concentration.

"I'm good," he said, putting another fork-full in his mouth.

He stayed sitting, looking content with his dessert. She shook her head slightly, her lips parted, eyes narrowed, trying to work out what had just happened in her tiny little mind.

She froze for a second. "I suppose some cake would be nice," she muttered. Unwilling to give up, she tried another tactic. "You're lucky, Greengrass. I wanted to just give you proper payback, nose for a nose." She looked rather proud of that statement, like it took her a long while to think up. "But that wouldn't last long enough, no. Afterall, unstable freaks such as yourself need to be monitored --"

I cut her off and said, "Then why don't --"

"Pansy, could you just stop?" I didn't expect this. It came from Draco.

"What?" She hissed incredulously. He just looked back at his cake.

I suppressed my surprise and took the opportunity to say something. "I look forward to the day you decide to break my nose, and get me the proper monitoring I need, Pansy," I said, a small smile on my face. Not to gloat, but I was rather proud of the toxic levels of passive aggression cramped into the sentence.

Pansy straightened herself out and stood up. "Oh, I'm sure you do," she sneered. She walked out, her hips swaying, her short bobbed hair flailing back and forth with each elongated step.

"Thanks," I said to him after she'd gone. He met my eyes for a second and looked back down with a nod. After a few more minutes of silence he looked back up as if to say something, but at that point students were already leaving for bed, and I spotted the blonde braids of Holly. I got up and chased after her.